Pile fabric loom assembly and wire therefor



Jan. 10, 1961 R. o. SPARLING 2,967,548

PILE FABRIC LOOM ASSEMBLY AND WIRE THEREFOR Filed May 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT O SPARLI NG- AT TORN EY Jan. 10, 1961 R. o. SPARLING 2,957,548

PILE FABRIC LOOM ASSEMBLY AND WIRE THEREFOR Filed May 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

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I INVENTOR. ROBERT o. SPARLING ATTORNEY PILE FABRIC LOOM ASSEMBLY AND WIRE THEREFOR Robert 0. Sparling, North Scituate, R1. (R0. Box 5067, Esmond17 R.I.)

Filed May 21, 1958, Ser. No. 736,740

Claims. .(Cl. 139-37) The present invention relates to improvements in looms and more particularly to an improved assembly for weaving pile fabrics and an improved pile wire for use in the assembly.

I am aware of prior pile wires which have been used in the weaving of pile fabric but their design has had certain objections. Moreover, the manner in which the pile wires have been associated with the looms in which they were used has been found to be objectionable. In some instances, the pile wires have been individually movably supported.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved pile wire which is of unitary form, that is, having no relatively moving parts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide improved pile wires which are formed of substantially uniform cross section wire stock, each wire having an end thereof flattened so as to be engageable on the ground fabric so that the pile loops being formed have a height determined by the height of the flattened end portion of the pile wires.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved pile wire which is formed with a flattened end portion having a predetermined height corresponding to the height of the pile loops to be formed thereby so that the flattened end portion can rest on the ground fabric and fixedly determine the height of the pile loops to insure an even woven appearance of the pile fabric.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved pile wire which is formed of flexible resilient wire stock having a flattened end on which the pile loops are adapted to be formed through the use of stuffer picks, and wherein the major portion of the pile wire can be flexed by a predetermined heddle of a loom to move upwardly and downwardly in the loom, as desired and required in the formation of the pile fabric.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved pile wire wherein one end portion thereof is adapted to'be attached in selected relationship in the loom and the other end portion is flattened and adapted to be positioned over the ground fabric to be supported thereby and so as to receive the stutter picks'thereacross, the pile loops being formed over the stufler picks and thereby limited movement while the front end of the pile wire is held in the pile fabric being woven, the substantial intermediate portion of the pile wire being flexible and movable by the respective heddle of a preselected harness in the 100m.

A further object is to provide an improved loom assembly including pile wires wherein the pile wires are collectively held for predetermined movement.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved pile wire which is less expensive than prior designs, easier for a weaver to work with, and which 1 lessens the chances of damage to the fabric being woven.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal view showing one of my improved pile' wires and a portion of the loom in which the pile wire is to be used and showing the loom with a preselected harness in an up position supporting the pile wire in its upwardly flexed position;

.Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the harness moved to its down position so as to relax flexing of the pile wire;

Figure 3 is a greatly enlarged view of a warp portion of pile fabric showing the flattened end portion of a pile wire and the manner in which the pile loops are formed thereover; and

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view, showing several pile wires and harnesses for the support thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals apply to like parts throughout, and having reference to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that I have provided improved pile wires at 10 which are one behind the other and interconnected to a loom frame element 12 by the interconnecting or attachment means 14, the loom further including conventional harness and heddle assemblies 16 and the usual lay 18 with the reed 20 thereon.

The pile wires 10 are best shown in detail in Figures 3 and 4. Each pile wire 10 is comprised of an elongated flexible shank 22 which can be formed of suitable resilient wire of a selected cross-sectional size and shape having a length sufficient to pass from the front of the loom where the pile fabric is being woven through the reed and harness to the rear portion of the loom so as to be connected to the transverse frame element 12, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The rear end of the shank 22 is substantially right angularly bent as at 24 to be adaptedto be connected to the above referred to means 14. The front or forward end portion of the wire 22 is formed by flattening the round wire 22 at 26 so as to have a predetermined uniform height, the thickness depending upon the size wire 22. The tip of the flattened portion 26 is tapered to a point at 28 so as to facilitate'shedding of the having their height determined by the height of the flattened end portions of the pile wires.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved loom assembly wherein simple unitary pile wires are anchored to a common holding bar which is predeterminedly movable in the loom at one end while the opposing end is held in the pile fabric as it is being woven, the substantial intermediate portion of the pile wire being movable upwardly and downwardly in the loom as determined by movement of the respective heddle in the loom.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved loom assembly including a floating bar anchored to a fixed frame element of the loom so as to be movable in a limited range, whereby the rear end of the pile wire can be anchored to the floating bar for similar pile fabric as it moves from the loom. The flattened end portion 26 is relatively rigid whereas the shank 22 is substantially flexible for a purpose to be described presently.

In positioning each of the pile wires 10, of which there are a substantial number in a single loom weaving pile fabric, the flattened end portion 26 of the pile wire is supported on the ground fabric, as shown at 30 in Figure 3, with the thin edge of the flattened end portion resting on the ground fabric so that the upper edge 32 of the flattened end portion 26 is a predetermined distance chored to the floating bar 36. Thefloating ba1' .36

Patented Jan. 10, 1961 turn is anchored to the frame 12 by means of a flexible chain 40 or the like. The chain 40 is secured to the bolt 42 which threadedly extends through the frame angle iron element 44 so as to be adjustable relatively thereto. The nut 46 can lock the bolt 42 in selected relationship to the angle iron element 44.

As will be obvious from Figure 3, the warp portion of the pile fabric shown includes the woven backing cloth or ground fabric comprised of the filling picks 48 and the ground warp threads 50 and 52 interwoven therewith. The stutfer picks 54 are run over the pile wires where it is desired to form pile loops and the pile threads at 56 and 58 are woven into the ground fabric as shown. The stutfer picks 54 are supported on the upper edge 32 of the flattened portions 26 of the pile wires so as to be a predetermined distance above the ground fabric 30. The pile threads 56 and 58 are selectively woven about the filling picks 48 of the ground fabric and then upwardly over the stutfer picks 54. As the woven fabric with the pile loops formed as described passes from the loom, it is shed from the pointed tips 28 of the pile wires and the stutfer picks 54 are severed in a conventional fashion so as to be removable from the woven fabric thereby leaving the pile loops free but of uniform height as determined by the height of the flattened end portions 26 of the pile wires with the stufler picks thereover.

Having reference to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that the vertical reciprocation of the harness, as at 16, will, through the heddles 34 thereof, raise and lower the shanks 22 of the pile wires so as to provide clearance for the shuttle as it passes across on the lay 18. When relaxed, the pile wires assume the relationship shown in Figure 2, which is substantially straight, with the flattened end portions 26 being held in the woven fabric. As the harness 16 moves upwardly, the shanks 22 of the pile wires are moved upwardly by the heddles 34 and are arched thereby to the limit permitted by the chain 40. Upon lowering of the harness 16, the pile wires 10 will again return to this relaxed, straight position and the floating bar 36 will move rearwardly towards the frame element 44 with the chain 40 in its tension-free relationship. For ample support of a number of pile wires 10, seveial harnesses 16 can be employed as shown in Figure In view of the foregoing, it is believed that I have provided an improved assembly and pile wire which fulfill the objects hereinbefore enumerated. Obviously, the pile loops can be formed to give any desired design.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceding them, and all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents, are therefore intended to be embraced by these claims.

I claim:

1. In a loom for weaving pile fabric having a frame, at least one harness, at least one longitudinal pile wire comprising an elongated flexible shank having a front end portion of flattened planar form substantially rigid 1n the plane of said end portion, a rear end portion of said shank including an attachment means, each pile wire having said shank supported by a harness so as to be movable therewith while said front end portion is substantially held from movement by the frictional engagement of the fabric, and means connected to said frame substantially freely movable relative thereto in a limited range and having said attachment means connected thereto so as to'permit limited flexing movement of said pile wire in response to movement of said harness.

2. In a loom having a frame, at least one harness, a plurality of longitudinal pile wires each comprising an elongated flexible shank having a front end portion of flattened planar form substantially rigid in the plane of said end portion and adapted to support stuffer picks thereover on which the pile loops are formed, said shank having a rear end portion including an attachment means for anchoring each said pile wire in selected relationship in the loom, each pile wire having said shank supported by a harness so as to be movable therewith while said front end portion is substantially held by the pile loops and stuffer picks, and a floating bar connected to a said frame so as to be substantially freely movable in a limited range and having said attachment means of said pile wires connected thereto for limited movement of the latter.

3. In a loom for weaving pile fabric, a frame, at least one harness, at least one longitudinal pile wire comprising an elongated flexible shank having a front end portion of flattened planar form substantially rigid in the plane of said end portion and adapted to support stuifer picks thereover on which the pile loops are formed, said shank having a rear end portion including an attachment means for anchoring said pile wire so that said plane is substantially upright in the loom, each pile wire having said shank supported by a harness so as to be movable therewith while said front end portion is substantially held by the pile loops and stuifer picks and sheds the pile loops and stufl er picks as the fabric progresses from the loom, and means connected to said frame substantially freely movable relative thereto in a limited range and having said attachment means connected thereto.

4. In a loom having a frame, at least one harness, at least one longitudinal pile wire comprising an elongated flexible shank having a front end portion formed by flattening of a section of said shank to planar form substantially rigid in the plane of said end portion, said flattened end portion having a height substantially corresponding to the desired height of the pile loops and being adapted to support stuffer picks thereover on which the pile loops are formed, a rear end portion of said shank including an attachment means for anchoring said pile wire in selected upright relationship in the loom, each pile wire having said shank supported by a harness so as to be movable therewith while said front end portion is substantially held by the pile loops and stutfer picks, and means connected to-said frame substantially freely movable relative thereto in a limited range and having said attachment means connected thereto.

5. In a loom for weaving pile fabrics, a frame, at least one harness, a plurality of longitudinal pile wires each comprising an enlongated flexible shank having a front end portion of flattened planar form substantially rigid in the plane of said end portion, each said flattened end portion having a height substantially corresponding to the desired height of the pile loops, a rear end portion of said shank of each wire including an attachment means for anchoring said pile wire so that said plane is substantially upright in the loom, and said pile Wire front end portions receiving a stuffer pick thereacross on which the pile loops are formed and supported during weaving of the fabric, each pile wire having said shank supported by a harness so as to be movable therewith while said front end portion is substantially held from movement by the pile loops and stutfer picks and sheds the pile loops and stuifer picks as the fabric progresses from the loom, and a floating bar connected to said frame so as to be substantially freely movable in a limited range and having said attachment means of said pile wires connected thereto for limited flexing movement of the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 806,729 Zimermann Dec. 5, 1905 1,691,194 Howard NOV. 13, 1928 1,985,208 Kaufmann Dec. 18, 1934 5 Krehbiel July 21, 1936 

